By Amos Aar
THE Benue State Police Command has nabbed one Kumaor Fachir Daniel, said to be second-in-command to the late dreaded terrorist kingpin in Benue, Terwase Akwaza, aka Gana, who was killed by the Nigerian Army in 2021.
The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr Bartholomew Nnamdi Onyeka, who briefed journalists in his office on Tuesday and later paraded the suspects, said Daniel was arrested along with other four armed bandits on Monday, August 14, 2023 following an intelligence gathering by Joint Task Force (JTF) known as operation Zenda, commanded by Superintendent of Police (SP), Justin Gberindyer,
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SP Gberindyer said Daniel, aged 31, was arrested and prosecuted but was released and he allegedly went back and recruited more bandits into his fold of criminality.
“He was the second-in-command to the dreaded and vicious late terrorist, Terwase Akwaza aka Gana. He was arrested and I think prosecuted and he is out and at the end of the day, he refused to repent. He has now recruited more people and they are now going ahead with their heinous crime,” the JTF disclosed.
Explaining to journalists how they were arrested, SP Gberindyer who introduced the suspects by their names and the various roles they played in the crime said, “through actionable intelligence, two of them were picked, they confessed and led the police to where this one was arrested. He took us to where these actions were recovered. At the end of the day, they helped the police by confessing who is the manufacturer of their rifles and where they perpetrate their heinous crime. That’s how we got the last person sitting there, the fabricator and manufacturer of this dangerous weapons.”
Briefing newsmen in his office before the parade of the alleged bandits, CP Onyeka, who assumed duty in Benue State on August 10, 2023 said, the command under his watch would not tolerate criminality of any kind.
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He explained that after he received briefs from his predecessor about activities of bandits and other criminals in the state, on resumption of office, he deployed all available human and material resources to rid the state of crime.
Describing the arrests as the outcome of one of the current operations in the state, CP Onyeka said: “On 14/08/2023 at about 0340hrs Officers from Operation ZENDA JTF Tactical team trailed and arrested a dreaded and vicious armed bandit kingpin named Kumaor Fachir Daniel, popularly known as 2nd in Command to late Gana along Adikpo-Ugbema road.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of four other gang members including Torwuese Ashiekaa, Aondongu Aligbe, Terkula Wuhe aka “Oryughurt” and one Terhemba Sevav a 47yrs old member of the gang from Adikpo, Kwande who specialized in fixing and manufacturing rifles for the gang.”
According to him, two AK-47 rifles, two other fabricated AK-47 rifles, two Berretta pistols, in the process of fabrication, one double barrel gun loaded with 35 live cartridges, 130 rounds of 7.62X 39mm live ammunition were recovered from them.
The police commissioner who noted that other suspects escaped from the scene, warned criminals and intending criminals to desist from such acts and turn new leafs saying “I will not tolerate criminality in Benue State. I will fight them.
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“I was asked to come here to replicate what I did in Plateau state. My vision, mission in this jobs is policing with the fear of God. When you intentionally break the law and come begging for mercy, it becomes very difficult. Sometimes people might take my principle for wickedness but it is not.
“My agenda in Benue state is very simple. I’m here to ensure that the people of Benue sleep with their two eyes closed. We are equally here to ensure that we protect the lives and property of the Benue people,” he said.
“I am not an office commissioner of police. I’m a field officer. I want to assure you that with me in this state, they will have no hiding place. The best thing is for them to relocate or we will give them the hit that will make them relocate elsewhere so that the people of the state can go about their business without being molested,” CP Onyeka assured.
